HUMANS are used to the certainty of a stable climate. For 400 generations we have built our civilisations on it. Even small changes from the norm, like the rash of droughts that spread round the world 4200 years ago, cause chaos. Chris Turney surveys capricious climates of the past, from early Snowball Earth to the frost fairs of the Little Ice Age, and captures the intriguing stories of how science uncovered this unexpectedly volatile past. It is a sobering and vividly told tale – especially as we contemplate our growing contribution to its outcome.
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Ice, Mud and Blood: Lessons from climates past
Macmillan